Evaporative cooler



July 3, 1962 P. KRANZ 3,041,978

EVAPORATIVE COOLER Filed Jan. 15, 1960 f)? 1/6)? tar-.- Pete) Ar'an Z,

H/LS A c3 orwgg Ratenteci July 3, 11962 3,941,978 EVAPQRATIVE COOLERPeter Kranz, Darien, Conn, assignor to General Electric ompany, acorporation of New York Filed Jan. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 2,755 7 Claims.(Cl. 103-103) This invention relates to an evaporative cooler, and moreparticularly, to an improved pump and strainer arrangement for anevaporative cooler.

Evaporative coolers conventionally include a pump and strainer forsupplying water from a reservoir to an evaporative cooler waterdistribution tray. Although this pump and strainer construction may beaccomplished in various ways, a simple low-cost arrangement forstraining the water and pumping it to the water distribution tray isespecially desirable.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide animproved water pum and strainer arrangement which is simple in structureand capable of being manufactured and installed in an evaporative coolerat low cost.

In accordance with one aspect of this invention, an evaporative cooleris provided with a reservoir having a bottom wall and an impeller forpumping water from the reservoir. A housing is provided for the impellerand a unique flexible strainer is formed with the housing. The strainerextends downwardly from the impeller housing and is self-urged againstthe bottom wall of the reservoir. With this arrangement, all of thewater which is sucked by the pump passes through the strainer before itreaches the impeller. Thus, an improved effective, low-cost pump andstrainer arrangement is achieved.

Other objects and attendent advantages of this invention will beapparent from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through an evaporative coolershowing my improved pump and strainer arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a bottom exploded perspective view of my improved pump andstrainer arrangement;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view showing my improved pump and strainer; and

PEG. 4 is a top plan view of my improved pump housing and strainer.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a portion of an evaporativecooler comprising a water reservoir 1 having a bottom wall 2, and atpump3 for pumping the water from the reservoir through a tube 4 to anevaporative cooler water distribution tray (not shown). An electricmotor 5 is provided with an elongated vertical drive shaft 6 forrotating the pump impeller 7. The electric motor 5 also drives anevaporative cooler blower wheel (not shown) which may be positioned incasing 8. The casing 8 and the electric motor 5 may be rigidly supportedin the evaporative cooler by means of an apertured tab 9 and othersuitable securing means. Thus, my unique pump and strainer arrangement 3may be supported from casing 8 by means of support brackets 10 and 11,in a manner to be more particularly described hereinafter.

A unique easily manufactured one piece member 12 which functions notonly as an impeller housing but as a strainer is provided. The member ispreferably formed of polyethylene or other suitable moldable material.As best shown in FIG. 4, it comprises a generally horizontal topplatform 13 and downwardly extending side wall portions 14 for enclosingthe centrifugal impeller 7. An enlarged opening 15 may be formed in thetop platform 13 of the housing for receiving the impeller shaft 6 withconsiderable clearance.

Effective connecting means may be integrally formed with the pumphousing 12 for supporting the housing from brackets 10 and 11. As shownmore particularly in FIG. 4, two pairs of guide Walls 16 and 17, and 1%and 19 are provided for receiving end portions of brackets 10 and 11,respectively, therebetween. Screw receiving apertures 20 and 21 may alsobe formed with the pump housing 12 for receiving screws 22 and 23 inorder to securely fix the pump housing 12 to mounting brackets 11 and10.

My improved multi-function housing member 12 is also provided with anintegrally formed Water discharge nipple 24. With this arrangement, oneend 4 of the flexible tube may be readily slipped over the nipple 24 toprovide a satisfactory coupling between the nipple and the flexible tube4.

My improved strainer arrangement will now be more particularlydescribed. As shown in FIG. 2 a flexible skirt wall 25 is integrallyformed with my improved multifunction housing member 12 and extendsdownwardly from side wall 14 at an angle of approximately 30 withrespect thereto. A plurality of vertically arranged generally parallelslots 26 are integrally formed in the skirt wall between the end of wall12 and a lip end ortion 27 of the skirt member. Thus, a plurality ofthin flexible fingers 28 are provided between the slots 26 to strain theWater as it flows through the slots 26 toward the impeller. The flexiblefingers 28 extend from side wall 12 to the bottom of the skirt and theirextreme ends may be integrally moulded to each other to form the lip 27.With this arrangement, when the pump housing 12 is rigidly fixed to thesupporting brackets 10 and 11, the flexible skirt member 25 can defiectslightly against the bottom wall 2 of the reservoir. The fingers 28 areinclined at an angle of approximately 30 with respect to wall 14 so thatthey cannot buckle inwardly, but can dettlect substantially uniformlyoutwardly to compensate for manufacturing tolerances with respect to thedistance from the end of side wall 14 to the bottom wall 2. Accordingly,the ends of fingers 28 forming the skirt wall 25 are self-urged againstbottom wall 2 to provide a water-tight seal whereby all of the waterwhich is sucked by the pump passes through the strainer slots 26. Asshown in FIG. 4, greater flexibility may be achieved by forming fourslots 29, 30, 31 and 32 Which extend completely through the lip 2'7 ofthe skirt 25 to divide the skirt into four sections. Obviously, lip 27may be omitted or a greater number of through slots may be provided forachieving a more flexible skirt member 25.

My improved pump housing and strainer arrangement includes a cover plate33 for closing an enlarged opening 34 formed in the bottom of theimpeller housing. As shown more particularly in FIG. 2 the cover member33 is provided with a plurality of preformed apertures 35, 36, and 37for receiving screws 38 for connecting the cover 33 to the housing. Acircular opening 3? is formed in the cover for functioning as a waterinlet opening to the Pump chamber.

In operation when the motor 5 is energized it rotates shaft 6 and thecentrifugal impeller 7. The impeller 7 sucks water from the bottom ofthe reservoir through the slots 26 formed in the strainer and upwardlythrough opening 39 formed in the cover plate into the pump chamber. Thenthe Water is forced centrifugally outwardly under the influence of theimpeller 7 and upwardly through the nipple 24 and the tube 4 to thewater distribution tray of the evaporative cooler. Thus, the waterdistribution tray is supplied with strained water which cannot clog thewater openings which are formed in the tray.

It should be appreciated that my improved pump and strainer arrangementcomprises only three parts, an integrally formed pump housing andstrainer 12, a cover plate 33 and an impeller wheel 7. Thus, anexceedingly simple yet eflective evaporative cooler pump and strainer isobtained. The above described construction facilitates manufacture andassembly of the evaporative cooler. The blower wheel casing 8, bracketsand 11, and the pump 3 are sub-assembled to each other. Thissub-assembly is placed in the reservoir as shown in FIG. 1, and thecasing 8 is connected to the evaporative cooler by suitable securingmeans. With my improved strainer arrangement, the strainer fingers 28deflect just the right amount depending upon manufacturing tolerancevariations to provide an effective seal with the bottom wall 2 of theevaporative cooler.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of thisinvention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousother changes and modifications can be made therein without departingfrom the invention, and therefore, it is aimed in the appended claims tocover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An evaporative cooler comprising: a liquid reservoir having a bottomwall; an impeller for pumping liquid from said reservoir; a housing forsaid impeller; and a resilient fleixble strainer formed with saidhousing, said strainer extending downwardly from said housing and beingresiliently self-urged against the bottom wall of said reservoir toprovide a liquid tight seal between said strainer and said bottom wallwhereby to strain all of the liquid which flows between said impellerhousing and said bottom wall to the impeller.

2. An evaporative cooler comprising: a liquid reservoir having a bottomwall; an impeller for pumping liquid from said reservoir; a housing forSaid impeller; and a plurality of resilient flexible fingers integrallyformed with said housing, said fingers extending from said housing andbeing resiliently self-urged against the bottom wall of said reservoirfor straining all of the liquid which flows between said housing and thebottom wall to the impeller.

3. An evaporative cooler comprising: a liquid reservoir having a bottomwall; an impeller for pumping liquid from said reservoir; a housing forsaid impeller; a liquid discharge nipple integrally formed with saidhousing; and a resilient flexible strainer formed with said housing,said resilient strainer extending downwardly from said housing and beingresiliently self-urged against the bottom wall of said reservoir toprovide a liquid-tight seal between said strainer and said bottom wallwhereby to strain all of the liquid which flows between said impellerhousing and said bottom wall to the impeller.

4. An evaporative cooler comprising: a liquid reservoir having a bottomwall; an impeller for pumping liquid from said reservoir, a housing forsaid impeller; a liquid discharge nipple integrally formed with saidhousing; guide wall connecting means integrally formed with saidhousing; and a resilient flexible strainer formed with said housing,said resilient strainer extending downwardly from said housing and beingresiliently self-urged against the bottom wall of said reservoir toprovide a liquid-tight seal between said strainer and said bottom wallwhereby to strain all of the liquid which flows between said impellerhousing and said bottom wall to the impeller.

5 An evaporative cooler comprising: a liquid reservoir having a bottomwall; an impeller for pumping liquid from said reservoir; a housing forsaid impeller; a side wall formed integrally with said housing; and aresilient flexible strainer skirt integrally formed with said housing,said resilient strainer skirt extending downwardly and outwardly at anangle with respect to said side wall; said strainer skirt beingresiliently self-urged against the bottom wall of said reservoir toprovide a liquid-tight seal between said strainer and said bottom wallwhereby to strain all of the liquid which flows between said impellerhousing and said bottom wall to the impeller.

6. An evaporative cooler comprising: a liquid reservoir having a bottomwall; an impeller for pumping liquid from said reservoir; a housing forsaid impeller; a side wall formed integrally with said housing; and aresilient flexible strainer skirt integrally formed with said housing,

said strainer skirt extending downwardly and outwardly at an angle withrespect to said side wall; a plurality of slots formed in said skirt,said strainer skirt being resiliently self-urged against the bottom wallof said reservoir to provide a liquid-tight seal between said strainerand said bottom wall whereby to strain all of the liquid which flowsbetween said impeller housing and said bottom wall to the impeller.

7. A pump structure for cooperation with an opposed surface comprising:an impeller for pumping liquid, a housing for said impeller, a side wallintegrally formed with said housing, a resilient flexible strainer skirtintegrally formed with said housing, said strainer skirt ineluding aplurality of resilient flexible generally parallel fingers, saidresilient strainer skirt extending outwardly at an angle with respect tosaid side wall, said resilient skirt including said fingers beingdeformable into conformity with said opposed surface to provide a liquidtype seal between the bottom of said strainer skirt and said opposedsurface whereby to strain all of the fluid which flows to said pumpimpeller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,295,982 Widman Sept. 15, 1942 2,702,147 Brown Feb. 15, 1955 2,738,787Jacuzzi et al Mar. 20, 1956 2,744,466 Difford May 8, 1956 2,808,782Thompson et al Oct. 8, 1957 2,918,016 Olson Dec. 22, 1959 2,942,556Growall June 28, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,959 France Mar. 17, 1958(Addition to No. 1,084,781)

